Someone from another website posted this:

Just finished a book about her:
"Justine Henin-Hardenne Tragedy & Triumph".
This book is one of the biggest wastes of time I have ever read as far as tennis bio's go. The book isn't even about her. It's about the family members she doesn't talk to anymore and how they feel about being cut out of her life. Her father, her brothers, her sister, and surviving grandparents. None of them were invited to her wedding, or get to see her play tennis in person, she doesn't call or send holiday cards. Her father has been turned away at her door by her husband being told "she doesn't want to see you". It's very sad & it doesn't attempt to tell HER side of the story. Just maybe a little speculation here and there. It's like a huge tabloid article in book form. Should have been limited to one chapter at most. The only interesting part is the three chapters covering what happened between Justine and Serena at the French Open semi final 2003 and the "aftermath" and the "payback time". First of all, I'm 100% on Serena's side in all that and was from the second I saw Justine refuse to admit she raised her hand for Serena to stop her serve. But it seems the author and her family is on Serena's side too and a so called bio of her shouldn't have taken so much satisfaction of Serena beating her at Wimbledon the following month. The author also seems to not take her side in all the incidents where Justine took injury timeouts. It's as if the book was written by her opponents. I used to like Justine, but since that French match vs Serena, I never liked her much anymore. Now, I kind of feel sorry for her since her family (mostly her dad) cooperated with this author in the unauthorized bio.

LOL...too funny. Justine alienated her whole family? What is up with this girl. I always sensed she was a troubled soul. I agree though that after the French Open I would never root for her again. That was just a despicable handling of that situation and I was glad Serena THRASHED her at Wimbledon a month later. So, I don't feel sorry for the girl.


[Thread title modified for case - Outsports moderator]

[ November 12, 2005, 04:51 AM: Message edited by: m1 ]

What I would take away from that post is that the book was one of the biggest wastes of time [the poster has] ever read. Sounds like something that should have condensed for the Enquirer.

More of the usual JHH bashing that has in the past filled these columns......yawn.

I happen upon the view that JHH, certainly pre-illness, in good form and in full flight was/is the most glorious sight seen on a tennis court this past decade.We should be fortunate we have her on the tour.

How anyone could form a view on her personal family life without seeking her side of the issue is simply anti-intellectual, and as such, the comments have no value and should be ignored.

Unauthorised biographies should be disposed of in the exactly the same place as empty baked beans cans.

[ November 12, 2005, 04:49 PM: Message edited by: xanthos ]

Why exactly is it bashing? Cuz one is not kissing her butt. I thought it was interesting that she had an unauthorized biography out and had no idea her family situation was as such. We all have our players we like and dislike. I haven't been on the board that long so I don't know about the previous Justine bashing so...oh well. Again, I always seemed to sense she had issues going on. It was almost as if through her interviews you could see the pain in her eyes.

I always felt there was a sadness about JHH that ws troubling. She was so young, she was at the top of her game, yet there was a disconcerting sadness about her. Perhaps the worst part was that much of it was self-imposed.

Itskinmdterp,I take the point that you have not been posting here that long but there have been, in the past, regular bashings on JHH, via expressions like "I hate JHH" and "I cheered when she lost" etc. All I ask .... lets admire her enormous skill as a tennis player. I don't understand the logic, or depth of feeling, that generates hate in someone whom one has never met.It just shows a paucity of thought.

JHH family situation has been written about extensively since she arrived on the international scene as a 16 year old at Roland Garros.The short story goes that she helped raise and support her younger brother after her mother passed. Her Father and other family members disapproved of her marrying so young, and indeed, marrying Yves Hardenne.So whether their vitriol is about that or because they are no longer aboard the JHH gravy train is unknown.It is, of course, heresay as she has never made a public comment about her private life.So just because some clown writes, and badly at that,an unauthorised biography, it is not cementable fact.

I am not sure I can see in her eyes that she is a troubled soul or that one can tell, in televised interviews, she has personal issues affecting her.If there is some tenseness there it is no different than that exhibited by some of the other top female players who are themselves progeny of dysfunctional families. I have seen JHH at social events at the Australian Open and she appears to me that both off the court and off the screen she is a relaxed,aware, fun loving girl.

I know some posters like and dislike certain players, it is human nature. I happen to like JHH and Mauresmo but only for the skills they show on the court.For me their all court games are stylish, interesting and different

Anyhow, I am off to Shanghai tonight to see the Masters Championship where I hope there will be some great tennis plus plenty of opportunties to cruise Mr. Nadal.He is on my list of players that "I like" for many,many reasons.

[ November 12, 2005, 06:49 PM: Message edited by: xanthos ]

Well, to follow the description of what sounds like a horribly painful family situation (whether it's true or not) with "LOL...too funny" strikes me as being in rather poor taste. Schadenfreude.

Yeah if someone had posted about the Williams sister's problems the past couple of years, including the death of their sister, and said LOL after it, all hell would have broken loose. Or the death of Monica's father. Or the imprisonment of Graf's dad. Well okay maybe not that last one.

I have to say that the only people I know who are estranged from a parent have very good reasons, and reasons that they would be reluctant to talk about publicly. A parent disapproving of your marriage (and she was estranged from her Father at the French in 2001, long before the wedding) wouldn't be a sufficient reason.